Spring wheel



"'5, `1.944. E;- STIFT SPRING WHEEL Filed Nov. 8, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2gj@ Y#MMI `with the peripheralwall l Patented Dec. 5, 1944 UNI-TeoSTATES uATENT OFFICE a e This invention relates `to spring wheels forvehicles; p i

An object of thisinvention itseto provide an improved resilient wheelwhich is durable,`

economical and elieient. Its advantages will` be apparent from thefollowingV description taken e inconnection with theaccompanyihgdrawings.

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a wheel embodying this invention;

i Fig; 2 is a. view similar to Fig. 1,V taken a side opposite thatofFig. 1;

Fig.` 3 is a detail elevational view, partly in section; e i

Fig. 4 is a section online 4-4, Fig. 3=;* e

Fig. 6- is a section on line- 6-6, Fig` 5;

Fig".` 7 is a section on line fl-T, Fig. 5;

Fig. Slis a section on line 8-8, Fig; 5i;

Fig. 9911s adetail sectional viewwon a plane at aright angle to that ofFig'. 5l; l

Fig. l is an elevational view showing a sleeve employed in thefwheel;` l

Fig. 11 is an end View ci the sleeve; and

Fig. l2 is' a section on line @2i-4t2; Figa'. 3f.

Thewheel includes a central casing l; through the circumferentialperipheryoiv which aplufrom rality off radial spokes"` 2 extend. Thespokes`2 1 are resiliently supported by means which will be described.The wheel may bem'ounted on an axle 3 and has a rim 4.

The casing I has a pair of side walls 5 and 6 and a peripheral wall 1.As specifically shown, the peripheral wall 1 is a continuation' of thewall 5, while the wall is ,a removable plate. The casing has a fixedinner annulus 8, which xthe position` of the spokes.

The casing l has a hub 9 which `may be of any desired character.tionally in the drawings and it may be mounted directly upon the axle 3,orit may beof a form corresponding to that nowl commonlyused indemountable wheels for automobiles.

The cover plate or wall 6 is attached to the casing by screws. lll whichpass through the plate and engage the wall 1 and the annulus 8,

or more particularly the flanges Il and l2 ree gage the outer surfaceofthe ring t5 sa that the l resilient mountings of spokes counteractsthe pressure' exerted onlthe outer` ends: ot other spokes, `thering lbeing free to move a.

single plane inside the casing except. as "yieldingily restrained' bythe spokes.`

The spoke assembly may now be l explained. It `has already beennotedthat `a! spoke assembly, all `of which are alike, is positioned by the lcircumferential wall `if and theinner annulus il with the inner end of"the assembly `bearing against the iioating ring I5land' the outerfendattached tothe rim 4`. v` l l .Thee spokeassembly includes a tubularmember liwhich basa head H" extending" beyond the circumferential wall i'of' the casi-ng; while the shankextends inwardly' through the arr--nulos 8 and passes througha cylinder t8 fixed ing one endl bearingagainst ashoulder' formed l by the head I1', and* the other er-rdbearing against the annulus 8. It may' new be underf stood that thespoke `l'l is resiliently heldin its It is shown convenspectively. Agasket` I3 is interposed between the plate 6 and the ange Il, and agasket `I4 is interposed between the plate 6 and the iiange I2.

A central floating ring; l5 is positioned in the o. casing by the sidewalls and provides a novel element in a novel combination by whichresiliency is secured and distributed. The inner ends of the spokes 2 ortelescopic extensions thereof enouter position by' the spring' 2U `with`the edge of the collar I9 against the inner surface oi the annu-lus 8`.

The head Il ii-tsthe cylinder IB while` the shank passes through and ntsin an appropriate circular opening 2|.l in the annulus. A sleeve A 22,shown separately in Figs. 10 and 11, forms the inner end of the spokeassembly and bears directly against the oating ring I5. It has `a.

circular portion which tsover the collar I9 and As `pressure is exertedon the rim of the whee1 at a particular spoke, that spoke will bepressed inwardly against theaction of thespring 20.

The member I6 Vwill tend to move inwardly telescoping the sleeve 22until the inner end of the member I6 bears against the floatingring l5.`

It will be understood that there will be a compression of the spring 20from both ends, since `the end of the arms 23 of the sleeve 22 bearsagainst the inner end of the spring 20 while the head I1 of the memberI6 exerts pressure on th outer end ofthe spring.

The action is not, however,` limited to a particular spoke against whichthe pressure is applied, but the pressure is extended to other spokesthrough the ring I5. That is to say, when pressure is exerted at theouter end of a particular spoke, that pressure is in part absorbed bythe spring 2U of that particular spoke assembly, while some of thepressure is exerted on the ring I5 and transmitted to other spokeassemblies, to the greatest extent on the spoke assembly directlyopposite the one upon which the primary pressure is applied. The ring I5tends to move with the pressure applied on the rim, and is restrained bythe springs of the opposing assemblies in a manner which will be obviousfrom the foregoing description and the drawings.

The casing I is filled with oil, and to produce a dampening effect thecylinder I 8 is provided with openings 25 and 25. Since thev cylinder.I8 will also be full of oil, the openings 25 and 25 will slow the actionof the spoke assembly. The openings 25 are placed just inwardly of theinner end of the head I'I which fits the cylinder I8, so that theinitial movement of the spoke may be relatively fast. As soon, however,as the member 'IB is pressed-suiciently for the head I'I to cover theopenings 25, a single opening 25 will control the further action of theassembly.

formed as a piston within the cylinder and bear"- ing against a rim ofthe wheel, an inner member movable radially, resilient means for urgingoutwardly the outer member and for urging inwardly the inner member, arestricted port in the cylinder whereby movement of the piston isdampened, and a central floating ring Whose periphery provides a seatfor the inner end of said inner members on the spoke assemblies.

2. In a resilient wheel the combination comprising a circular casinghaving a pair of parallel side walls, a circular peripheral wall and axed inner annulus coaxial with the peripheral wall, a plurality of spokeassemblies, positioned The oating ring I5 may be rigid, or it may f be`somewhat resilient. When resilient that resiliency will aid in theentire resiliency of the as specifically shown is constructed of aseries 'e of laminations, preferably of spring steel. These laminationsare held together by lugs 26 on outer leaves which are bent underneaththe inner laminations and by screws 2l passing through the laminationsand entering the head I7. A tire 28 is placed upon the rim.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction, within thescope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of thisinvention and parts of the invention may be used without the whole.

I claim:

l. In a resilient vehicle wheel the combination comprising a pluralityof radial spoke assemblies each assembly including a radial liquidcontaining cylinder fixed in thel wheel, an outer member by saidperipheral wall and said annulus, each assembly including an outermember extending radially outward through an opening in the peripheralwall and inwardly through an opening in said annulus `and movableradially, a sleeve positioned telescopically on the inner end of saidouter member and extending outwardly through said annulus with its innerend normally beyond the inner end of the outer member, and

a compressible spring bearing against a head on the outer member and theouter end of said sleeve, being positioned therebetween, and a centralfloating ring in the casing with its periphery providing a seat for theinner ends of the sleeves.

3. In a resilient wheel the combination comprising a circular casinghaving a pair of parallel side walls, a circular peripheral wall and axed inner annulus coaxial with the peripheral wall,

a plurality of spoke assemblies, positioned by said f peripheral walland said annulus, each assembly a shoulder on the outer` member and onits inner end the outer surface of the annulus as well as the outer endof the sleeve, and a central oating ring in the casing with itsperiphery providing a seat for the inner ends of the sleeves.

EDWARD STIFT.

